A copyright is one tool that a person or company has to protect intellectual property. Copyrights are generally granted to those who have created works of art, original music or architectural drawings. To be eligible for a copyright, a work must be published either on paper or electronically. This means that a story could be eligible for protection whether it was written on paper or posted to the author’s website.
Whoever holds a copyright retains the exclusive right to use the image or other intellectual property it protects. Other parties can only make use of copyrighted material if the copyright holder gives them permission to do so. It is important to note that certain items such as company names, logos or slogans cannot be copyrighted. However, it may be possible to trademark a slogan or logo.
Furthermore, it is generally not possible to copyright a fact or other piece of information that is already available to the public. It also doesn’t stop someone from expressing ideas portrayed in a story, blog post or newspaper article. Instead, it merely prohibits someone else from using an author’s exact words without his or her permission. If an individual is hired to create content, the copyright to that content is generally transferred to the person or company paying for it.
An attorney may be able to help companies learn more about their intellectual property rights. They may also be able to assist in the process of registering a copyright or a trademark. If another person or entity tries to infringe on an organization’s rights, an attorney may assist in getting that party to cease and desist. In some cases, it may be possible to enter into a licensing agreement instead of taking a copyright infringement matter to court.
